Strip-faced case



. Oct. 21,1958 w. H. ENzlE STRIP-Mcm CASE Filed Nov. 23, 1956 j INVENTOR WLLLLAM HENZLE AwoRNEzs United lStates Patent C 2,851,091 STRIP-racen CASE William H. Enzie, Armonk, N. Y., assignor to General Foods Corporation, White Plains, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 23, 1956, Serial No. 623,968

Z Claims. (Cl. 229-37) This invention relates to an improved strip-faced case or shipping container, i. e., one formed of corrugated board in which a portion of the inner facing or lining sheet of the corrugated board is omitted so as to reduce the weight and over-all dimensions of the case.

' In conventional cases both faces of the corrugated board are fully covered with heavy kraft paper or other facing material, completely to the edges. ln this invention, however, assuming the case of a blank adapted to form a rectangular shipping carton with the usual top and bottom ilaps, the inner kraft lining sheet, or other facing material is narrower than the case blank and extends down the center' of the blank in a strip which is adapted to form the sidesof the case. This strip is just Wide enough to overlap the two parallel horizontal score lines along which the aps are to be folded by a suticient distance that, when the case is set up, protection is afforded against tearing or damage along its edges and aty its corners by the inner facing. The overlap of the liner strip also provides additional stiffness to the aps which is benecial during mechanical forming of the case.

The primary advantages of a case of this type are that while the strength of the case is materially maintained, as explained hereinafter, less lining material is required for the inner facing and the case is lighter in weight. Further, the case when closed occupies less cubic volume than the usual box of double-faced corrugated board by virtue of its thinner top and bottom flaps. This feature is an important factor, particularly in low temperature and other storage.

The present case has less depth in relation to its length and width and is inherently more economical than cases havinga full inner facing and hence greater depth. This is particularly important from a warehousing and distribution point of view since a flatter container is more easily handled and palletized.

Further, cases embodying the invention afford equal protection with cases having full facings on both sides,'

as the overlapping flap areas are of double thickness when sealed. Where extraestrength is desired greater protection can be afforded by increasing the weight of the outer kraft facing by an amount equivalent in cost to the por-1 tion of the inner facing which is eliminated.

This improved case may be handled on existing automatic case packers and gluers, with minor modifications.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an improvedcase, of lighter weight than and strength equivalent to a double-faced case, in which 'the inner kraft liner extends only along the sides of the case and only a slight-distance around the corner edges and into the flap area of the case. l

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a strip-faced case which will have all the advantages and inherent strength of double-faced cases.

It is another object `of this invention to provide animproved and lighter case which will be more economical than conventional double-faced cases.

2,857,091 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 ICC closed condition; and

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the improved case taken upon line 4 4 of Fig. 3. j

In Fig'. 1 of the drawing, S designates broadly the blank for a strip-faced corrugated case made in conformity i with the present invention and formed preferably of heavy corrugated board with an outer facing sheet 6 (Fig. 2) of heavy kraft paper completely covering all panels and flaps thereof and provided along the center linevo-f its inner surface with a strip offkraft facing paper 7 which extends longitudinally the entire length of the blank, covering the four side panels of the case, and laterally or outwardly across horizontal score lines and 9 onto the inner margins of the eight flaps of the case.

Outer kraft facing sheet 6 is preferably applied to the corrugated material lll by gluing or by other appropriate means and inner facing strip 7 is likewise glued or otherwise suitably applied centrally and longitudinally of the inner surface of the corrugated .material 1l).

The blank "5k is divided into four rectangular segments,v each comprising two naps and an intermediate side wall panel, the flap material being single-faced and thepanel' material double-faced. Thus, the first segment of the blank comprises single-faced flaps 11 and 12 and doublefaced panel 13,`the second segment thereof comprises single-faced aps 1d and 15 and double-faced panel 16, the third segment lthereof comprises single-faced flaps 17 and 18 and double-faced panel 19, and the fourth segment comprises single-faced flaps 2li and 2l 'and doublefaced panel 22. Terminal end flap 23 is provided extending outwardly from panel 13 of the first segment, for a purpose hereinafter to be discussed in more detail.

Parallel score lines 8 and 9 extend longitudinally of the blank, dividing the aforesaid segments into the three parts referred to above.

Transverse score lines 39, 31, .32 and 33 are also provided in the intermediate panels of thevblank, score 30 being at the inner extremity of the end flap 23 and scores 31, 32 and 33 being located between each two adjacent panels 13, 16, 19 and 22.

The flaps 11, 14, 17, 2d and 12, 15, 13, 21 are formed in the unfaced margins of the blank by spaced cuts 24, 25 and 26 'and 27, 23 and 29, respectively, which extend inwardly to horizontal score lines 9 and S, respectively. Cuts 24, 27 are aligned with transverse score line 31, cuts 25, 2S with transverse score 32, and cuts 26, 29 with transverse score 33.

As shown in Fig. l, the central facing strip 7 applied to the interior of the blank extends the length thereof, and may cover end flap 23 if desired. This strip extends laterally enough to overlap score lines E and 9 and appreciable margins of flaps 11, 1d, 17 and 20 and 12, 15, 18 and 21. As shown, the balance of the inner surfaces of the aforesaid flaps is unfaced, leaving the corrugated liner material 1li exposed over most of the interior surfaces of the flaps.

The manner of formation of the case is as follows:

The blank 5, being formed as described and as shown in Fig. 1, is bent along score lines 30, 31, 32 and 33 to approximately rectangular form as shown in Fig. 2 and 'having the usual strength and protection.

the end tlap 23 is suitably secured to the side panel 22, the outer surface of end lap 23 preferably being glued to the inner facing of panel 22. Bottom flaps 12, 18 and 15, 21 are then bent inwardly to form the bottom ofthe case, the inner corrugated surfaces of flaps and 21 preferably being glued to the outer faced surfaces of llaps 12 and 18. After the vcase has been lled with the desired goods top flaps 11, 17 and 14, 20 are folded downwardly over the contents and are suitably secured in place as by gluing to complete the closure of the carton, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

As will be seen from Figs. 2 and 4,` the inner facing strip 7 extends completely around the side walls of the case after it is formed and around the four top corner edges and the four bottom corner edges. Further, said inner facing strip extends across the score lines 39, 31, 32 and 33 of the blank and thus serves to reinforce all score lines and corner edges at the interior of the case.

As will be seen, the single ply double-faced sides of the case have the same strength against lateral pressure and in vertical stacking as cases made of the usual doublefaced stock, and all corner edges of the case likewise The greater part of the top and bottom of the carton is made of singlefaced stock, but these sides of the carton are of pluralply construction due to the overlapping flaps. Thus the strength of the case is not materially diminished despite the fact that the blank is not fully faced. Moreover, the exposed corrugating medium at the inner faces of the flaps can be firmly affixed by gluing to the kraft facing of the outer surfaces of the ilaps and thus form in eiect a plural-ply top and bottom.

It will therefore be seen that a lighter carton of reduced depth but undiminished strength has been provided by eliminating the kraft facing on the major portion of the inner surfaces of the flaps. The weight, dimensions and cost of the case have been materially reduced, yet the provision of the strip-facing along the interior of the case and over all the score lines thereof maintains the strength of the structure and prevents damage or tearing along the score lines and at the corners. By virtue of this novel construction the case occupies less cubic volume than a standard double-faced case and is easier to store, handle and palletize.

This invention is susceptible of numerous embodiments without departing from the spirit thereof. It may be ernbodied in any size or shape of corrugated container and in cases and cartons of widely varying types. It is to be understood that this specication is by Way of illustration only and that attention should be directed to the appended claims for a denition of its limits.

What is claimed is:

1. A corrugated paperboard box made from an elongated rectangular blank consisting of a sheet of corrugating medium having inner and outer facings of kraft paper, said inner facing extending the full length of the blank but being of less Width than the blank so that said sheet is double-faced throughout an area extending the length of the blank but single-faced on its outer side along both longitudinal margins, said double-faced portion having longitudinally extending parallel fold lines one on either side of the longitudinal center line of the blank and spaced apart by a distance equal to the height of the box, a plurality of transversely extending parallel score lines running across said double-faced portion between said longitudinal score lines at the locations of the box corners, each transverse score line being continued at each end by a slot extending from the longitudinal score line outwardly across the remainder of said double-faced portion and across the single-faced portion to the edge of the blank, said blank being folded to form a box of rectangular shape with double-faced side Walls.

Z. A corrugated paperboard box made from an elongated rectangular blank'consisting of a sheet of corrugating medium having inner and outer facings of kraft paper, said inner facing extending the full length of the blank but being of less width than the blank so that said sheet is double-faced throughout an area extending the length of the blank but single-faced on its outer side along both longitudinal margins, said double-faced portion having longitudinally extending parallel fold lines one on either side of the longitudinal center line of the blank and spaced apart by a distance equal to the height of the box, a plurality of transversely extending parallel score lines running across saiddouble-faced portion between said longitudinal score lines at the locations of the box corners, each transverse score line being continued at each end by a slot extending from the longitudinal score line outwardly across the remainder of said double-faced portion and across the single-faced portion to the edge of the blank, said blank being folded to form a box of rectangular shape with double-faced side walls, the singlefaced marginal portions forming aps to close the top and bottom of the box with the exposed corrugations turned inwardly and with the exposed corrugations of the outer iaps in contact with and adhesively secured to said outer facing of theinner ilaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

